As part of efforts to improve the quality of healthcare service delivery, the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), is set to reposition the community pharmacies and patent medicines shops across the country.

PCN Registrar, Pharm Elijah Mohammed, stated this at a One-day National Stakeholders Meeting on Repositioning Patent and Proprietary Medicines Vendors (PPMVS), held in Abuja.

In line with the repositioning bid, Pharm Mohammed said the PCN is collaborating with the Management Science for Health (MSH) to carry out a research project aimed at improving healthcare service delivery by patent medicines vendors in the country.

According to him, the reason is not far-fetch from the fact that the patent medicines shops are more in number and also because they are the most widely distributed healthcare-related facilities.

“Studies have also shown that the patent and proprietary medicines vendors (PPMVs) are naturally assimilated into the community where they operate. More often than not, the PPMVs are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, friends, children and /or cousins to members of the community. They are usually therefore trusted and depended upon by members of the community for their healthcare need,” he explained.

Speaking further, Mohammed said the research findings is expected to identify the gaps in the operations of the PMVs with recommendations of how to address them as well as identifying the opportunities which can be leveraged upon to improve healthcare service delivery.

He also disclosed that the research project is divided into 3 phases and the first phase of 12-month period, is almost being concluded with gracious funding from the MSH.

“Upon completion of the project, it is hoped that the structure and operations of the patent medicines shops may have to be stratified and the whole concept metamorphose into improved patent medicines shop of our dream with the goal to improve regulated access to medicines as well as the spectrum and quality of primary healthcare services in the PMS,” he stated.

In his address, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, represented by Mrs Sheriff Zainab, said the repositioning is necessary considering the fact that the patent vendors are the first point of call and also the last mile for the delivery of healthcare service.

“We need to collectively look at what happens with the patent vendors, we need to ensure that they are well inform. This is what we aim to achieve,” he stated.